Firm Reboots Midcentury Designers to Sell Affordable Reproductions

Mark Masiello’s company, Form Portfolios, is mining the archives of midcentury designers to reintroduce forgotten furniture and lighting to modern consumers. Form acquires or manages design rights from heirs, then pitches products to manufacturers and retailers. It has licensed roughly 800 products since its 2016 founding and splits proceeds with rights holders under varying terms, sometimes on a roughly 50-50 basis.

The company has placed revived designs in mass-market and specialist outlets. Its work forms the backbone of a CB2 “Design Legends” line that has reissued pieces by Paul McCobb, Bill Curry and Gianfranco Frattini, and Form says more than 150 such products have appeared at CB2 since 2021.

Form also works with high-end brands and estates. The firm helped the descendants of Charles and Ray Eames pitch lighting patterns and assisted the family of Louis Kahn in bringing furniture to market; it has an agreement with Danish brand Gubi to reintroduce Carlo Nason lamps. The business model ranges from buying intellectual property outright to acting as a manager for heirs and taking a cut of royalties.

Licensing fees for heirs historically hover around 5 percent, though Form’s deals vary. Critics warn that mass-market reproductions can dilute quality and heritage. Form’s founder says the company chooses partners carefully and sometimes turns down opportunities that would compromise standards.

Key Topics

Crypto, United States, Business, Design, Furniture, Licensing, Midcentury